Lubricating system for internal combustion engines



March' 9, 1937. H. D. CHURCH 2,073,096

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES LUBRICAT ING SYSTEM FOR 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 vMarch 9, 1937. H, D CHURCH 2,073,096

LUBRICATING SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Original Filed Aug. 22, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I. HAROLD D. CHufzcH.

ATTORA. Y

Mmh s,i 1937. H. D. CHURCH 2,073,095 l LUBRICATING SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Original Filed Aug. 22, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 'o' fNvENToR HAQQLD D. CHuQcH.

ATTORN .Y

March 9; 1937., H, D, CHURCH 2,073,096

v LUBRICATING SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Original Filed Aug. 22, 1932 4 SheetsSheet 4 4 38,. B f4/VWL;

5 0 ATTORN Y Patented Mar. 9, 1937 UNITED STAT/Es nog PATET Fria LUBRICATING SYSTEM FDR INTERNAL COMBUSTON ENGINES Harold D. Church, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to The White Motor Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Claims.

This invention relates to lubricating systems for internal combustion engines, and is a division of applicants prior application Serial Number 629,774, led August 22, 1932.

It is an object of the `invention to provide an improved lubricating system of the type which comprises cleaning and cooling apparatus.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a lubricating system for an engine of the horizontally disposed cylinder type which lends itself to the construction of an engine of small vertical depth.

It is a further object of the invention to pro vide an improved lubricating system of the type which comprises means for maintaining the oil in the crank case at a low level.

Other objects will appear in the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary cross section of a motor bus equipped with an engine embodying the present invention, the section of the engine being composite, and consisting of a portion at one side taken through the cylinders of the engine and a portion at the other side taken intermediate two of the cylinders of the engine.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional View of the vbus taken through the rear supports of the engine and looking towards the rear of the bus.

Figure 3 is an enlargement of a portion of the section of the engine shown in Figure 2, certain of the parts shown in full lines in Figure 2 being shown in section in Figure 3.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the forward portion of the understructure of the bus, certain parts not related to the invention being removed.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical section of the engine taken through the longitudinal center line of the engine.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical section of the engine taken on a line corresponding with line 6 6 of Figure '7.

Figure 'l is a plan View of the engine, certain parts being broken away in order to show the internal construction.

` Figure 8 is a fragmentary front eleveation of vthe engine.

Referring to the drawings, the letter A indicates the body of a motor bus of the street car type, and the letter B an engine for propelling the .'bus. The engine B is mounted midway between the front and rear sets of wheels, and drives the rear wheels C through a driving mechanism .similar in general construction to that emh55,p10ye d ,in a `conventional automobile.

Generally described, the engine B comprises a crank case Ill, a crank case cover Il, a pair of horizontally disposed cylinder blocks l2, cylinder heads I3, cylinder head covers iii, a crank shaft I5, a pair of cam shafts IB, and inlet and ex- 5 haust valves ll and i8. Included within the engine assembly is a conventional type clutch mounted with a casing I9 attached to the engine flywheel 20, and mounted upon a casing 2l attached to the rear of the crank case I0 are two 10 electrical motors 22 for starting the engine.

The cylinder biocks i2 are pro-vided with separate fuel induction Systems of the down draft type. The system for each cylinder block comprises canals 23 formed in the block, a manifold 2d mounted on the upper side of the block, a carburetor 25 mounted on the upper surface of the manifold, and a breather pipe 26 extending laterally from the carburetor. The carburetors 25 extend above the floor of the bus, and are located in rectangular housings 2l disposed beneath two seats 28 located at opposite sides of the bus. The housings 2l also enclose the breathing pipes 26 which extend to the sides of the bus contiguous to screened openings 29.

The cylinder blocks l2 are also provided with separate exhaust systems, the system for each block comprising conduits 30 leading from the combustion chambers to the lower, portion of the block, an exhaust manifold 3l formed by casting a canal in the block and enclosing the cavity by a cover plate 32, and an exhaust conduit 33 leading toward the rear of the bus.

lThe lubricating system for the engine B (see Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8) comprises a set of three gear pumps 34, 35 and 36, located at the forward end of the camshaft at the right hand side of the engine and operatively connected thereto. The pump- Sll communicates at its intake side through a duct 3l and pipes 38 and 39 with a supply reservoir formed in the 'crank case cover l l, and at its discharge side is connected through a duct M with a manifold i2 which communicates with ducts 43 leading to the various bearings of the engine. The pump 35 communicates at its intake 45 side through a duct it with the forward end of an oil receiving reservoir i5 formed in the bottom of the crank case, and at its discharge side is connected through a duct 46 with a pipe 4l. The pump 36 communicates at its intake side through 50 ,a duct 48 and a pipe 49, with the rear end of the oil receiving reservoir liti, and at its discharge side through a duct 50 with the aforementioned. pipe 41.

The pipe 4l leads upward to an oil cleaning and cooling system, which system comprises a' block 5| located at the forward end of the crank case cover filters 52 communicating with chambers vand conduits formed in the block 5|, a Water chamber 53 formed in the cylinder head cover and cooling pipes 54 extending from the block into the cooling chamber 53 and connecting upper and lower chambers in the block. The pipe 4 1 communicates at its upper end with a chamber 55 in the block 5|, which chamber communicates with the outer compartments of the lters 52. Iheinner compartments of the lters, which are separated from the outer compartments by conventional filtering elements, communicate with a conduit 58 in the block 5|. which communicates through a duct 51 and a chamber 58 with the lower end of the cooling tubes 54. The upper ends of the cooling tubes 54 o-pen into a chamber 59 located above the chamber 58, which chamber 'communicates through an opening 68 with the interior of the supply reservoir 48.

Mounted within the block 5| at the end of the conduit 56 is a spring pressed valve 6|, which controls a passage between the conduit 55 and the chamber 55, and is designed to permit the oil to pass directly from the chamber 55 to the conduit V58 should the filtering elements of the filters become clogged. Mounted at the end of the chamber 58 is a second spring pressed valve 52 which controls a passage between the chamber 58 and the interior of the supply reservoir 48. This valve is adapted to open and allow the oil from the chamber 58 to flow directly into the reservoir 40 in case the kcooling tubes become obstructed.

In addition to the valves 5| and 52, the lubricating system includes a spring pressed valve 53 controlling a passage between the duct 4| leading into the manifold 42 and the duct 48 leading into, the pump 38. This valve is designed to allow oil from the duct 4| to ow into the duct 48 leading to the pump 36, should the pressure created in the duct 4i and the manifold 42 become excessive.

During operation or" the engine the pump 34 draws oil from the supply reservoir 48 through the duct 31 and the pipes 38 and 39 delivering it through the duct 4|, manifold 42, and ducts 43 to the bearings of the engine. The oil discharged through the bearings of the engine collects in the bottom of the crank case from whence it is drawn into the pumps 35 and 38 through the pipe 49, duct 48, and duct 44, and delivered through ducts 45 and 58, and pipe 4l to the chamber 55 in the block 5|. From the chamber 55 the oil passes into the outer chambers of the iilters 52 and from the outer chambers through the iilter elements into the inner chambers. From the vfilters the oil is delivered into the conduit 56, and

from the conduit 55 to the conduit 5l', and thence into the chamber 58. From the chamber 58 it passes through cooling tubes 54 into the upper chamber 58, and then through the opening 68 into the supply reservoir 48. The cooling water for the chamber 53 is delivered thereto from a radiator 84 mounted at the forward end of the bus by means of a pump 55 (see Figures 4 and 7), hereafter described, connected with the radiator by a conduit and with the chamber 53 by a pipe 6l. From the chamber 53 the cooling water passes through pipes 88 into passages formed in the engine to cool the same, and from the cooling water passages in the engine through conduits 69 and a conduit 'I8 back to the radiator.

The relative capacities of the pumps 35 and 38 are such that either one of the pumps acting aovaoe alone is capable of drawing a greater volume oil from the reservoir 45 than is delivered thereto by the pump 34. As a result, the oil in the reservoir 45 is maintained at a low level notwithstanding inclination of the engine resulting in drainage of the oil to one end of the reservoir.

Extending from opposite sides of the crank case I8 (see Figure 2) are two tubular members 1| which support the rear portion of the engine. These members communicate with the crank case, and the member upon the right hand side of the bus is provided with a conduit a through which oil is supplied to the engine, which conduit consists of a pipe l2, a iiexible hose 13, and a filler neck 'I4 provided with a removable cap 15. The ller neck "I4 is mounted above the floor in the outer end of a rectangular housing 16 located beneath a seat 'Il at the right hand side of the bus, and is rendered accessible for supplying oil to the engine by means of a door 'I9 mountedin the side of the bus. Extending upwardly from the tubular member at the opposite side of the bus, there is a breather pipe '|9 terminating in an air filter 88.

Mounted in the lower wall of the reservoir 48 there is a breather tube 8| communicating at its upper end with the reservoir 48 and at its lower end with the interior of the crank case. The pur-r pose of the tube 8| is to provide a passage through which air drawn from the crank case and delivered to the reservoir 48 can escape back into the crank case. By virtue of this expedient, a saving in lubricant is realized as a result of the oilladen air not being permitted to escape to atmosphere.

Protruding from the side of the crank case cover and communicating with the reservoir 48 there is a cored member 82 which extends upwardly through the i'loor into the housing 16. Mounted Within the vertical arm of the member 82 there is a float 83 provided with a scale 84, which scale is visible from the side of the bus when the door 18 closing the end of the housing 18 is open, and which is provided to indicate `the level of the oil in the reservoir 48.

Means for completely draining the engine of oil (see Figures 2 and 3) is provided in the form of a cap b screwed into an aperture 85 in the bot\ tom of the crank case, and serving both to close the aperture 85 and the lower end of a superadjacent duct 86 communicating with the `supply reservoir 48. The cap b comprises a threaded member 81 screwed into the opening 85 in the. bottom of the crank case, a plunger 88 mounted on an extension of the member 8'! and carrying a gasket 89 and spring 98, the latter of which acts to urge the plunger 88 in an upward direction to close the lower end of the duct 86. A secondary means for draining the reservoir 45 is provided through a plug 9| screwed into an opening-92v formed in the bottom of the crank case.

Returning at this point in the description to the reservoir 45, this reservoir (see Figure 1) communicates through ducts 93 with the por'- tions of the cylinder blocks which enclose the inner ends of the valves, and forms in conjunction therewith a joint reservoir, which` when the engine and bus are in a level position can `hold all of the oil employed in the engine without flooding the combustion chambers or cylinders. One object of providing the joint reservoir with a capacity as described is to permit the engine to be filled with oil, when not running, without danger of flooding the combustion chambersfand cylinders. A further object 7is toavoid A:toodin'g the combustion chambers and cylinders with oil in consequence of the engine having stood idle for a. sufficient time for the oil in the upper portion of the system to have drained into the joint reservoir through the pumps 34, 35 and 36. During running of the engine, ooding of the combustion chambers and cylinders is prevented by the action of the pumps 35 and 36 which maintain the oil in the reservoir 45 at a low level.

Mounted at the forward end of the bus there is an assembly c which comp-rises the instrumentalities generally associated with an automotive engine and a portion of the shifting mechanism for the speed change mechanism of the bus. This assembly comprises the previously mentioned Water pump 65 for producing circulation of the cooling Water and a fan 95A for producing a flow of air through the radiator 64. The fan 95 is driven from a shaft 96 connected to the engine crank shaft by means of belts 91. The drive shaft 98 of the Water pump 65 is driven from the shaft 96 by means of a chain mounted within the housing 99 of the assembly c.

Although the foregoing description is necessarily of a detailed character, in order that the invention may be completely set forth it is to be understood that the specic terminology is not intended to be restrictive or confining, and that various rearrangements of the parts and modifications in structural details may be resorted to Without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as claimed.

What I claim is:

1. An internal combustion engine constructed with horizontally disposed cylinders, and comprising a circulatory Water cooling system and a dry sump lubricating system, said lubricating system comprising a shallow supply reservoir located in the upper portion of said engine, a shallow receiving reservoir located in the bottom of said engine, a cooling chamber of shallow depth located in the upper portion of said engine Vat one side of said supply reservoir and inter-connected with the cooling water system of said engine in such a manner that the cooling water is caused to flow therethrough, oil cooling tubes extending into said cooling chamber, means for delivering oil from said supply reservoir to the bearings of said engine, and means for returning to said supply reservoir by way of said oil cooling tubes the oil passing though said bearings and collecting in said receiving reservoir, said last named means having a greater capacity than said first named means and being operative during operation of the engine to maintain said receiving reservoir substantially dry of oil.

2. An internal combustion engine constructed with horizontally disposed cylinders, and-comprising a circulatory Water cooling system and a dry sump lubricating system, said lubricating system vcomprising a shallow supply reservoir located in the upper portion of said engine, a shallow receiving reservoir located in the bottom of said engine, oil cleaning apparatus mounted at one side of said engine, a cooling chamber of small depth located in the upper portion of said engine at one side of said supply reservoir and inter-connected With the cooling water sys- .tem of said engine in such a manner that the cooling water is caused to flow therethrough, cooling tubes extending into said cooling chamber, means for delivering oil from said supply reservoir to the bearings of said engine, and means for returning to said supply reservoir by Way of said cleaning apparatus and said cooling tubes the oil passing through said bearings and collecting in said receiving reservoir, said last named means having a greater capacity than said rst named means and being operative during operation of the engine to maintain said receiving reservoir substantially dry of oil.

3. In an internal combustion engine, a lubricating system comprising a supply reservoir formed in the upper portion of said engine, a receiving reservoir located in the bottom of said engine, means for delivering oil from said supply 'reservoir to the bearings of said engine, means for returning to said supply reservoir the oil passing through said bearings and collecting in said receiving reservoir, a conduit leading from said supply reservoir intorsaid receiving reservoir, means for simultaneously draining said supply reservoir and said receiving reservoir comprising a plug mounted in an aperture in the bottom of said receiving reservoir and engaging and sealing the lower end of said conduit.

4. An internal combustion engine constructed with horizontally disposed cylinders and comprising a` circulatory Water cooling system, a circulatory dry sump lubricating system, and heat exchange apparatus for cooling the oil in said lubricating system by the water in said water cooling system located in the upper portion of said engine and connected with the Water cooling system in such a manner that cooling water is caused to flow therethrough, said lubricating system comprising a supply reservoir located inY the upper portion oi said engine, a receiving reservoir located in the bottom of said engine, means for delivering oil from said supply reservoir to the bearings of said engine, and means for returning to said supply reservoir by Way of said heat exchange apparatus the oil passing through said bearings and collecting in said receiving reservoir.

5. An internal combustion engine constructed With horizontally disposed cylinders and comprising a circulatory water cooling system, a circulatory dry sump lubricating system, and heat exchange apparatus for cooling the oil in said lubricating system by the water in said Water cooling system located in the upper portion of said engine and connected with the Water cooling system in such a manner that cooling water is caused to flow therethrough, said lubricatingsystem comprising a supply reservoir located in the upper portion of said engine, a receiving reservoir located in the bottom of said engine, oil cleaning apparatus located intermediate the upper and lower planes of said engine, means for delivering oil from said supply reservoir to the bearings of said engine, and means for returning to said supply reservoir by way of said heat exchange apparatus and said cleaning apparatus the oil passing through said bearings and collecting in said receiving reservoir.

HAROLD D. CHURCH. 

